Chapter 685

"Bloody hell."

Vanessa was carefully descending the stairs, trying to catch up with Ethan and Evelyn. Her pregnant belly made every movement cautious, terrified of anything happening to her unborn child.

But who could have predicted that with just three steps left, a filthy rat would dart across her path?

The sudden movement made her jump violently.

Disaster struck. Her foot slipped, and she found herself doing an involuntary split on the concrete stairs.

The pain was unbearable, shooting through her legs like fire.

Her inner thighs screamed in agony, making her suspect something might be broken.

After finally adjusting her position, Vanessa immediately called for help.

She couldn't move an inch now. It felt like her pelvis was splitting apart.

She'd heard commotion outside moments earlier, including what sounded like Ethan's voice. He couldn't be far.

"Ethan... help me!"

"I fell, Ethan! Are you there?" Vanessa cried out in pain.

In the underground parking garage, Dominic had already scooped Evelyn into his arms.

He moved steadily toward his waiting car.

Ethan hesitated, torn between pursuing them and the desperate cries coming from the stairwell.

"Ethan!" Vanessa's voice grew more frantic, terrified he might ignore her.

Ethan's jaw clenched, her wails grating on his already frayed nerves.

"Ethan, if you don't come now, your son and I won't make it!"

Reluctantly, Ethan turned toward the stairwell.

"I think something's broken," Vanessa whimpered, unable to stand.

She looked up at Ethan with pleading eyes, arms outstretched.

Strangely, all Ethan could see when looking at Vanessa was the image of Evelyn covered in blood.

"Ethan, why are your hands covered in blood? I heard fighting earlier. What happened?" Vanessa asked pointedly.

Ethan's lips parted, but exhaustion made words impossible.

"I'll take you to the hospital."

He slid his arms beneath Vanessa's knees and lifted her effortlessly.

When they reached the parking garage, Damian had already been subdued by mall security, with Nathaniel handling the aftermath. Seeing Damian's bloody form on the ground, Vanessa feigned shock and buried her face in Ethan's chest.

"Ethan, why is Damian here? Did he escape prison? Was he after Evelyn? I swear I had nothing to do with this. Look, I'm injured too!"

Vanessa clung to Ethan's neck, desperate to prove her innocence.

But Ethan was miles away, staring blankly ahead like a marionette with its strings cut.

When her words failed to register, Vanessa fell silent. The fall had been painful - she worried about the baby. But what truly unsettled her was how easily Damian had been captured. This wasn't part of the plan.

"That imbecile!" she seethed internally. "Starting a brawl in public?"

She'd only wanted Evelyn to lose the baby, not this public spectacle.

Still, Vanessa wasn't worried about Damian talking. She held all the cards now.

Dominic raced to the car with Evelyn in his arms.

They reached Gale's vehicle, and when Gale saw Evelyn's bloodied state, guilt overwhelmed him. "Mrs. Whitmore!"

He'd only been gone briefly! How had this happened?

Gale had seen the truck rampaging through the garage but never imagined Evelyn was the target!

Evelyn's lips were pale with pain, speech impossible.

Lying in the backseat, she saw the blood dripping from Dominic's mouth.

From experience, Evelyn instantly recognized Dominic's injuries were just as severe as hers.

"Are you insane?" she managed.

She never expected Dominic would risk himself to save her.

Seeing his reckless disregard for safety brought tears to her eyes.

Despite his critical condition, he'd carried her to safety... With internal injuries, wasn't this suicidal?

"Take off your shoes."

Dominic frowned. "Why?"

"You're bleeding internally. I need to stop it or you'll die." Evelyn instantly diagnosed the severity from Dominic's pallor.

Multiple organ hemorrhaging. Critical condition.

Dominic leaned back, breathing shallowly against the pain.

"Worry about yourself. Death doesn't want me yet." More blood spilled from his lips.

"This isn't a joke. You're worse than I am. Without immediate treatment, you won't survive."

"Who cares if this worthless life ends? Let it."

"Dominic!"

Evelyn knew she was going into labor.

The impact likely caused placental abruption.

Without childbirth experience, she could only wait for hospital care.

If the baby survived, wonderful. If not... fate.

But Dominic was different.

He was right here, and she could provide emergency aid.

Every second counted with internal bleeding. She couldn't watch him suffer.

"Take off your damn shoe!" she ordered. "Find the acupoint on his big toe and apply pressure! Maintain it until we reach the hospital! It'll slow the bleeding!"

Gale wasn't wasting time either, running red lights when a call came through.

It was Alexander.

"Sir, Mrs. Whitmore's in trouble! We're nearly at the hospital!"

Evelyn fell silent, though the line remained open. Alexander could tell from the commotion that her injuries were severe.

"Which hospital? I'm coming now."

Nothing was more devastating than hearing your loved one hurt, powerless to help.

Alexander wished for teleportation.

"Sir... she's lost significant blood."

"Understood. Just drive!"

The ten-minute journey felt endless. Upon arrival, medics rushed out with stretchers.

Gale hurried alongside as they loaded Evelyn. Dominic had already lost consciousness from his injuries.

Shock had set in.

Evelyn's diagnosis was correct - Dominic's internal bleeding was critical.

That fool... Despite his condition, he'd insisted on carrying her away from Ethan...

If he hadn't strained himself, his injuries wouldn't have worsened!

Tears filled Evelyn's eyes.

"Dominic, don't you dare die!"

Internal bleeding was a dance with death. If he died saving her...

Medical staff rushed the stretchers inside, separating them for treatment.

Dominic lay motionless, eyes closed. The usually vibrant man didn't respond to Evelyn's desperate pleas.